Drop step for passenger coaches



. J. F MAURER AND G. W. BEISER.

" DROP STEP FOR PASSENGER COACHES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. I922. 1A29 607 PatentedSept. 19, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. F. MAURER AND G. W. BEESER. DROP STEP FORPASSENGER COACHES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. 1922.

1A2971 Pmenwd p 19 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 6 '5 'KNVENTOM: v f JFZM QZ Y; X QWBEZEETQ Patented Sept. 19, T1922,

' Josnrn nausea arm GEORGE W. nurses, or PERU, ILLINOIS.

1 'DROP STEP FOR PASSENGER COACHES.

Application filed April 10,

T all'wi omitmay concern: Y I I v Beit known th, itwe, Jpsarn F. lilAUEn' and GEORGE B'nis'iae, both citizens of the United States, residing at Peru. 7 in the county of La Balls and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Drop Steps for Passenger Coaches; and we do hereby, declare that thetolloiw ing is' 'a fulhclear, and exact description of the invention, which will'enable others skilled'in the art to which it a'ppertains to make and use the same. I

This inventionrelates to a dropstep designed particularly for railway coaches, street ears' and the like.

The invention has forjits object the provision of anadditi'onal step as an attachmenti for the usualseries of steps ofa car or coach whereby a safemeansof stepping upon or. from the depot "platform or street is afforded; This is provided as, a safety measurefland" in order, also, that the pas- Sanger easily' 'mount and dismount Without the exertion usually necessary Where, on street cars for example, the perfmane'nt or 'iixedistep is some considerable distance' above the'stree'tlevel. I

Also,v that on railwayv coaches when the -distancehetween the steps and the depot 30 platform is "-ons iderahle' the, unstable stepe ping stool; ually' r ijided m beiolls-v eardedfland dent-s hybvertu r e that it is, not entirely fol ding step for the pur pose named, certainhew structures having advantages" in use re included our ;in.: vention ent of, a railway "invention; .attached' similar view enlarged,. different positions of v the ol'vedQ irionitv invention. 1 liotwsthe in nti on appliedto,

'n a en from the side ed; in @the earlier fignrcsi I I J. Figure 4 is an elevat on; ofv latch arrangement igures, Land 2, and

shown in's'a -F g l andl,

for use.

1922, Serial at. 551,362.

the depot platform and this requires the use of a stepping stool of a height of about half this distance in order to conveniently I1l()1111i)tl16 steps. It is our purpose to provide a step carried on the car or coach that may he ,let down into position, for replac ing the stool. and that will beapositively held in the folded position or in position This step is indicated at 4. Rigidly attached to'each of its ends is an arm 5 pivotally supported between the ends of links 6. whose other ends are in turn pivoted to supporting brackets 7 secured to the lowermost portion of the step structure 2 at its forward edge. As indicated in Figure 2, and particularly in Figure 3, the step 4 and its arms 5 are designed tofold into one plane against the underside of the lowermost stepfo'f the structure 2, the said step 4- lyingbetween the projectionsof the supporting brackets v7 when thus stationed.

The free ends of the arms extend upwardly and each is pivotally attached to one end of a lever' 8 s'ecured upon opposite ends of a horizontalshaft 9 "extending through the .step structure" 2 and preferably having I hearings in members secured to;each.,side

of the latter. One of these members .isg-des- 'ignated at 10 at one side of said structure- '2 and forms an extension of a cast ng lf Whose; construction and purposelwill pres--.

ently appear. At theother side of the structure, Figure 3, the member 10 is merely; i a plate secured: upon the'latter.

The said levers'8 are mounted between their ends as shown, and onegend of one of them, at'it's, end opposite'that' having.

the :arm 5, has pivoted thereto a lock-arm 12. When the step 4 is in use thisarm lies int-he folded position of the step said arm ber 13 in any suitable manner.

- within a keeper 12, Figures 2 and 4, while The casting 11 referred to includes ,an I

ann ls: constitutingla stopiwhichlies in a position to receive against itthe pivoted ends of the arm 5 and lever 8. In addition,

1 it constitutes a support fora triggerql5,

slidably thereon within guides 16. Said trigger includes a projecting pin 17 en gagcd by a spring 18 fixed on the stop 14, for example. The spring tends to con stantly hold the trigger in a raised position I movement due to the or that shown in Figure 5. 19 is an extension on the casting 11, below the trigger, adapted to form a keeper for a spring 20 secured upon one of the links 6.

I'Vhen thestep 4 is in use the parts take the 2, the stop 14 firmly securing the said step in the horizontal position without danger of weight of a person step Jing thereon. F"

T e arm 12 is notched at 12 engaging the keeper'12, ipon which it rests. The latter has a pecul ar construction in that, as shown in Figure 4, the opening 21 through which the arm extends has a'spring 22 therein. and an abutment 23 so disposed that when the arm is drawn down between the spring and said abutment the spring will be compressed and when said arm has passed below the abutment said spring will force it beneath the latter, the said notch 12 into it, preventing the arm having endwise movement while thus positioned. I11 this manner an additional automatic lock is pro vided for maintaining the step rigid while in use, preventing its being raised by accident breaking the lock constituted by the arm 5, lever 8 and the stop 14. If the step were lifted inadvertently from its position for use to the extent that said lock were broken, the imposed weight of one stepping thereon would tend to swing the step inward, out of position for use, with a possible accident.

When the step is to be raised and folded the arm 12 is moved against the spring 22 and raised above the abutment whereupon it is pulled outward through the keeper drawing with it the arm of the lever 8 to which it is attached, raising the step to the folded position. As this occurs the spring 20 engages the extension 19 of the casting 11, Figure 5, sustaining the step in position. In addition to this, however, we provide additional means for holding the step in position as shown in Figure 3. The free end of the lever 8 at this side of the structure 2 receives upon it a latch 24 pivoted at a point just above the said free end. This forms a positive stop and sustains the step in raised position in addition to the automatic lock provided by thegsaid spring 201. In releasing the step the latch is swung upwardly on its pivot and fricticinally engages a spring at 25 from which it 'is easily disengaged on occasion. a

It is noted thahkthe end of the lever 8 to which the arm 1211's ,pivoted is drawn through the keeper 12",tthd that therefore the said arm can be raised to .the vertical position shown. When droppin the step the arm is position shown in full lines in Figure receiving the keeper drawn out of the member-.13 and swung down upon the top of the trigger 15 which is thus forced upon the spring 20 disengaging that member from the extension 19 permitting the step to drop and in that movement the arm 12 is drawn through the keeper 12 to the position described and shown.

The positive securing of the step in either position, and in an automatical manner aswell, is important herein and is fully accomplished by the means employed or the equivalent thereof, we having shown a preferred form thereof. 7

We claim:

1. In a device of the nature described, the combination with a step structure including an auxiliary step suspended therefrom adapted to fold beneath it, an arm rigidly secured to said auxiliary step, and a lever pivoted on the structure to which said arm is pivoted, of a stop cured on said step structure -adapted to receive the point of pivotal connection of the said arm and lever against it when the step is lowered for sustaining the latter positively in its position for use.

2,111 a device of the nature described, the combination with a step structure including an'auxiliary step suspended therefrom adapted to fold beneath it, an arm rigidly secured to said auxiliary step, and a lever pivoted on the structure to which said arm is pivoted, of a fixed stop substantially at the place of connection of the arm and lever for receiving the latter against it for maintaining the same relatively rigid when the step is in its position for use, an arm attached to the lever for con trolling the step, a keeper with which the arm is engageable including means to automatically secure the arm from movement and therethrough secure the said step positively in its said position for use.

3. In a device of the nature described, the combination with astep structure ineluding an auxiliary step suspended therefrom adapted to fold beneath it,.an arm rigidly secured to said auxiliary step, and a lever to which said arm is pivoted, of a stop member adapted to receive the place of connection .of the said arm and lever against it when the step is lowered for sustaining the same positively in its position for use, an arm attached to the lever, a keeper with which it is engageable including means to automatically and positively lock said arm from movement in the said position for use of said step.

4. In a device of the nature described, the combination with a step structure of a railway coach including an auxiliary step suspended pivotally therefrom adapted to, be folded beneath it, an thereto, and a lever pivoted on the strucarrh rigidly secured,

member seture connected to the arm. of a stop to receive one of the last named parts against it forming a lock to support the step in its position for use. latchin; parts tixed with respect to the auxiliary step and the said step structure adapted to znltomatically engage when the step is raised to its folded position for sustaining said step in that position.

In a device of the nature described, the combination with a step structure of a railway coach including an auxiliary step suspended pivotally therefrom adapted to be folded beneath the same. an arm rigidly secured thereto and a lever pivoted on the structure connected to the arm, of latching parts on the structure to automatically engage and secure the said auxiliary step in its position for use, and other parts on the structure adapted-to automatcally en-. gage for holding the step in its raised or folded position.

(5. In a device of the nature described, the combination with a step structure of a railway coach including an auxiliary step suspended pivotally' therefrom adapted to be folded beneath the same, an arm rigidly secured thereto and a lever pivoted on the structure connected to the arm, oi parts on the step structure and the auxiliary step mechanism adapted to automatically en-' gage when the said step is raised for hold ing it in that position. v

7. In a device of the nature described, the combination with a step structure of a railway coach including an auxiliary step suspended pivotally therefrom adapted to be folded beneath the same, an arm rigidly secured thereto and a lever pivoted on the structure connected to the arm, of parts on the step structure and the auxiliary step mechanism adapted to automatically engage when the said step is raised for holding it in that position, and means on the. said mechanism to engage and release one of the parts in lowering the step for use; 7

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH F. MAURER. GEORGE W. BEISER.

"Witn esses /CHARLES J. HosoHm'r, GUSTAV HonNscHEn'). 

